“It’s funny the things we used to worry about and complain about,” he says, laughing. “And now the things we worry and complain about. Like, ‘Man I hope the tour bus has a coffee maker.’ It keeps things in perspective. You don’t take a second of it for granted, I mean you appreciate every little thing around you at all times.” Joey says he most appreciates Anberlin’s opportunities to travel the world. They have sold out shows in Australia, Singapore, China, Russia, England and The Phillipines among other countries. “We’re getting to go to places that most people would never actually get to go to unless they were either forced to or you know, had some bizarre reason to go,” Joey says. Joey also appreciates the charity work that he has been part of with Anberlin. Stephen has his own non-profit, Faceless International, which organizes trips to different countries to educate people on social issues in the global community. The band also did a tour where they worked with Habitat for Humanity. “We may have bitten off more than we could chew there with playing a full set and then going and working on building houses or boxing up food to be shipped to families,” Joey says. “It was awesome and it felt great, but it was a lot of work. I really envy people who get to do that on a regular basis, and have the energy and time.” Time is something a successful band is often without, and as the guys mature, Joey says quality time spent with loved ones is certainly a priority. “It’s hard to maintain a balance as we get older and life keeps moving on,” he says. “You can’t do it like you used to do it, which was like 300 shows a year, touring constantly. After a while it really starts to take a toll on your family life and your body.” The guys recently had some time off to rejuvenate and spend time with family. While they’re on tour, they use the Internet to keep in touch. “Everybody has their phones, everybody is Facetime-ing
“WE’RE GETTING TO GO TO PLACES THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD NEVER ACTUALLY GET TO GO TO UNLESS THEY WERE EITHER FORCED TO OR, YOU KNOW, HAD SOME BIZARRE REASON TO GO.” JOEY MILLIGAN
and Skyping one another,” Joey says. They also coordinate flying family members out on tour to get a little extra time with them. For Anberlin, time is flying by. Joey says being able to maintain their sound, but grow as a band is extremely important to them. Having the same core group of writers has helped them keep their sound while making conscious decisions to try new things and experiment. Their camaraderie after 16 years also makes things easier for them in all aspects of their musical careers. “We have been friends since like 1996, so it’s more like family, and I think that’s one thing that’s kept us on an even keel all these years,” Joey says. . Anberlin released their sixth studio album, Vital, in October. They plan to do a full headlining and international tour next year to promote it. They are already thinking about a seventh album, too. Joey says they have upwards of 20 songs that didn’t make it onto Vital. For now, the guys are the happiest they have ever been. “It’s really great that something we started in a shed behind our friend’s house enabled us to do things like this,” Joey says. NKDMAG.COM 21